Slaughter in the Sapperton Tunnel

The Railway Detective #18

by Edward Marston

A goods train speeds through the Sapperton Tunnel, but disaster strikes before it can reach the other side as it collides with an unusual blockage on the tracks: seven sheep penned in place. Specially requested to investigate the carnage in Gloucestershire, Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming are confronted with a bizarre case unlike anything they've encountered before. Stephen Rydall, board member of the Great Western Railway, who manage the route, is convinced this tragedy is a personal attack on him and fears for the safety of his shepherd, missing since the incident. Rydall has many enemies: a churlish squire, a scheming Principal and a local ruffian who always manages to evade the law. But, as Colbeck will soon discover, the man also has a closely guarded secret of his own...

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery, Historical Fiction, Victorian

352 pages, Hardcover

First published September 17, 2020

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

A pseudonym used by Keith Miles
AKA A.E. Marston

Keith Miles (born 1940) is an English author, who writes under his own name and also historical fiction and mystery novels under the pseudonym Edward Marston. He is known for his mysteries set in the world of Elizabethan theatre. He has also written a series of novels based on events in the Domesday Book, a series of The Railway Detective and a series of The Home Front Detective.


Series contributed to:
. Malice Domestic
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal

Reviews

[Julian Worker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Railway Detective, Robert Colbeck, and his trusty sidekick Victor Leeming have another case, this time in rural Gloucestershire where a train is derailed in the Sapperton Tunnel killing seven sheep in the process and destroying the track.

This book is a real page-turner as you would expect. The reader is directed to three possible suspects while other characters provide some context to the scene. As with all the best stories, the real perpetrators of the crime hide in plain sight.

The book is a good advert for the churches of the area around Cirencester and for the hardships of life for the majority of the population in the England of 1862. There's also an insight into the tough life bargees had getting their canal boats through tunnels where horses couldn't venture. If you've never heard of the term 'legging it' you will by the end of this book.

Recommended.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

latest in the railway detective series and doesn't disappoint and slightly different from some of the other adventures, took awhile to get going but an easy read though

[Martin Hollands · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story.

The lead characters have rounded nicely through the series and I have very clear images of them in my mind whilst reading the books.

Historically it is remarkably accurate in its depictions of the Railways of the time as well as the manner in which they interacted with the wider society.

The only issue I have in this book as in some of his past novels is that the end seems to be rushed and could/should be allowed to be more expansive.

As an aside and a particular co-incidence. Whilst reading this book I also had an episode of the TV Programme looking at the running of the GWML during this Covid Pandemic and amazingly just as I reached part of the book discussing the Sapperton Tunnel and the damage doe to it, the TV programme also had a bit about engineers working on the Sapperton Tunnel and dealing with the bricks in the tunnel lining.

[Stephen Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another example of brilliant writing

This is another brilliantly written example, that follows another railway mystery for inspector Colbeck. The characters are portrayed wonderfully, and the plot is full of intriguing twists and turns. This is a great book for all those who love, historical mystery/crime story's.

[Gerry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of the Railway Detective series of books by Edward Marston and always look forward to a new one being published. However with 'Slaughter in the Sapperton Tunnel' they seem to have lost their vim and vigour. I was sad to find this happen as Marston is a fine author but it as though with another title due, we had better return to the tried and tested formula for the series, that is a railway incident, Colbeck and Leeming called in to investigate, as always with Tallis unhappy that they are being called away, a variety of suspects all of whom need investigating, mystery surrounding any number of them, extensive investigations take place and finally a solution is worked out while back home the ladies of the piece pine and hope for the best..

I could be asked, #What is wrong with that?' The answer is probably nothing but that premise needs to be followed up with some excitement, some credible characters and a strong storyline. This one lacks all that as it wanders along not exactly capturing the reader's attention so I wonder if it is time for Colbeck and Leeming to take a rest, a well-earned break.

I may be being a little too harsh, or I may not be in the right reading frame of mind for this book at the moment but, even though I feel perhaps a little disloyal to Edward Marston, who I greatly admire, perhaps the series has run its course. All others in the series are memorable and have given me a great deal of pleasure and remain long in the memory, sadly this one will achieve neither of those feelings.

[Colin Benbow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable mystery

A pleasure to read, unusual in the fact Colbeck and Leeming were following the wrong trail for so long. The whole book is short of the usual railway technicalities eg the locomotive involved or the exact definition of broad gauge. Which helps to build a picture in the minds eye.

[Mrs M Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unputdownable!

Nothing to dislike. The characters are totally believable and the story included lots of interest about railways and canals. A fascinating read.

[James Norris]

Another good novel by a another good author

I've read many Edward Marston novels . This one is up there with the others. Railways, farming and canals all in one story.

[Richard Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s as ever easy to read and decently written. There’s less of the side plots of the family, the superintendent and so on and this is a relief - to me at least. The story goes at his usual pace with plenty of surprises and twists. However it is formulaic and whilst the outcome is difficult to guess, you know that you are being pointed in the wrong direction.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another fine entry in this series and the ending was quite a surprise. I was glad to see that Constable Alan Hinton was along on this case to help Colbeck and Leeming. He added nicely to the story and I hope he’s along in future novels. My favorite thing about this series is how well the author has done his research. He knows his stuff when it comes to the railway system in the UK for that time period and it really shows. A great read (#18 in the series) for me and I’m looking forward to the next book.

[Cynthia Grove · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps 2.5.
As an inveterate lover of Marston's Domesday Book, Nicholas Bracewell, Restoration, and up till now Railway Detective, series I was disappointed in this book.
Maybe it's due to a couple of very good books I've been reading and my expectations were raised but this did not feel up to Marston's usual standard. By and large the characters were not as well drawn as usual and both Colbeck and Leeming behaved in ways that seemed unusual for them. Little about the story was convincing.

[Katy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enid blyton for adults.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming investigate a horrific crime on the GWR railway line. A goods train has hit a pen of sheep in the Sapperton tunnel and the driver and fireman are seriously injured. Meanwhile a local shepherd has disappeared and both the estate owner and his family are struggling to manage without him.

Another quick and entertaining read in the Railway Detective series. The writing is quite workmanlike and straightforward and the dialogue is sometimes a bit awkward, but the plot is sound and Marston has introduced the right number of characters to make the mystery intriguing without being confusing.

What I really like about this series is the way Marston introduces interesting details about life on the Victorian railways. Here we have a picture of the clash between the disappearing canal trade and the new railways, and also some snippets about the churches and the new Royal Agricultural College in the area. I know this area fairly well so enjoyed picking up these facts.

Good fun and a pleasant series that I like coming back to.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this adventure on the GWR with Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming.
The two detectives are summoned to the Cotswolds to investigate the derailment of a goods train in the Sapperton Tunnel. The only deaths that occurred were those of seven sheep. However, the two men are also tasked with solving the murder of a shepherd in the employ of Stephen Rydall, a board member of the GWR.
As the investigation continues, several suspects are suggested, but none of them seem quite right. The detectives call for help and their colleague, Alan Hinton answers their request. The three policemen put their heads together and eventually both investigations are brought to their inevitable conclusions.
The culprits and their reasons are not what anyone expected. However, the policemen are pleased to be going home with another success under their belts.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable read in this excellent series. All the usual characters - nice to see the character of Alan Hinton given a more prominent role - were there. As always there was a parallel story involving Inspector Colbeck's wife and her father but it was only a very small side issue to the main story of a train derailment which caused several sheep to be slaughtered and two railway employees to be seriously injured. Colbeck and Leeming aided by Alan Hinton set off to try and find the perpetrators and are drawn in several wrong directions till all is finally revealed.
This is a really easy reading and enjoyable series with an engaging set of characters.

[Helen Birkbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

i think Mr Marston has taken on board the few negative comments about recent stories, as this one is excellent. Caleb Andrews seemed to be getting more sensible and there were no irritating subplots. The main story was involving and the characters and locations well drawn, realistic and interesting. I didn't guess the culprit at all. As an editor, I was surprised that the Colbecks' daughter is suddenly Helena, not Helen as before (my name!). This shows why fiction should be proofread as well as non-fiction...

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 2020, 'Slaughter in the Sapperton Tunnel' is another in the 'Railway Detective' series of mystery novels set in mid-19th century England and featuring Inspector Robert Colbeck of Scotland Yard. The plot this time concerns a suspicious collision in a railway tunnel in Gloucestershire, and is one of the best in the series. These are tales that depend on good characterisations, and so some character development stopped it from turning it into a soap. In addition, the locations were near my home town which added some extra appeal for me. Enjoyable.

[GBL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slaughter in the Sapperton Tunnel is another outing for the Railway Detective, Inspector Colbeck and his assistant Sergeant Leeming.

The derailment of a train in the Sapperton Tunnel, near Cirencester, caused by sheep deliberately placed in the path of the train and the disappearance of a shepherd creates a complex case for Colbeck.

These are easy reads and in many ways fit a formula, but the characters and the settings are always interesting and the puzzle is always well considered.

[Chloe Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this as much as I was hoping. It read much more like a television script than a novel. I also believe it would make a good 2 part TV series, so credit to the author for that. Sadly without the visuals of TV, the characters lacked just that.. character and I couldn't gel with them.
The story was good and I loved the locality (knowing that area) and it's massive nods and inclusion of the canals as well as rail.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the Spring of 1862 and written in a simplistic easily understandable way I found this story engrossing. The characters were described so strongly by the author it wasn't long before you either loved or hated them. Despite so many suspects it remained easy to follow the investigation and with a full description of the villages around Stroud it had a homely feel despite the nature of the crime that had to be solved. A thoroughly good read.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

My rating is a very weak two stars. There is an error on page 230 of the hardcover edition that the proofreaders missed. In the first paragraph of that page, Hinton was trying on some gardener's clothes for an undercover assignment and then he changed back to his own clothes. In the second paragraph, it has him adding boots and a hat to the gardener's clothes and then admiring the result in the mirror.

[Zoe Radley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent story by a master of mystery and suspense. I really enjoyed this one and loved getting to meet all the characters. I especially loved all the intrigues and vendettas and the many strange mysteries that the Railway Detective needs to solve. This was an absolute pleasure to read and can highly recommend this series and book to anyone.

[A J HOOPER · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely straightforward story of a faral derailment. I live in the area of the Sapperton Tunnel and know it well. I was v impressed by how thoroughly the author had researched the district, learning about aspects of the local churches I hadn't known before. The murder mystery is solved, almost by accident admittedly but, no matter.

[Chris Howland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is certainly one of the best in the series I've read so far. The character development of Colbeck, Leaming and their families continues, and Alan Hinton has become something of a regular too.
The story of teeming with suspects, and red herrings abound, with the eventual culprits hiding in plain sight!

[Tiana Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I took my time adjusting to the slag of the time that the book was dated too, I really enjoyed reading this. I'm a sucker for a good mystery and this scratched an itch for sure. Never at one time was a certain of who did the crime and this made it the most thrilling. Definitely going to keep and eye out for the other books in the railway detective series!

[Madeleine Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book unexpectedly and didn’t realise it was part of a collection. I was pleasantly surprised and have ordered the whole collection to read. I particularly like Colbeck although I’m usually not a fan of “old” stories, especially those set in the 1800’s. It’s well written, I look forward to reading the rest of Edward Marston’s collection.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good entry in the series. As always, the railroad information is interesting, as is the historical background.

Lots of "bits and pieces" to keep you wondering who the culprit actually was, and especially what the motive was. Could do without the father-in-law, but that's just a pet peeve on my part. Looking forward to the next book.

[Jane Dawes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

As usual lots of twists and turns really entertaining. Always lots of interesting points about area and people. Lots of interesting points about how the canals people used to work.

[J. Alston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too jumpy. I didn't need to know what every single person was doing at every single moment. The mystery itself wasn't bad but the story really wanted to make you follow several others plot points first. The final twist was unexpected in a thrown together way, I didn't feel fully thought out.

[Stuart Nottingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slaughter in the Slapperton Tunnel.

This is a complex murder mystery, which is extremely well written. There are so many suspects which keeps the excitement going. Thoroughly recommended.